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Although the freedom of the press was mentioned by two key clauses in the 1999 Constitution of Venezuela, in 2008, Human Rights Watch criticized Chávez for engaging in "often discriminatory policies that have undercut journalists' freedom of expression."[382] Freedom House listed Venezuela's press as being "Not Free" in its 2011 Map of Press Freedom, noting that "[t]he gradual erosion of press freedom in Venezuela continued in 2010."[429] Reporters Without Borders criticized the Chávez administration for "steadily silencing its critics".[430] In the group's 2009 Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders noted that "Venezuela is now among the region’s worst press freedom offenders."[430] The large majority of mass media in Venezuela remained privately owned, but subject to significant state control. The Venezuelan government required that all private television stations dedicate at least 25%[clarification needed] of their airtime to programs created by community groups, non-profits, and other independent producers. In 2007,[dated info] private corporations controlled 80% of the cable television channels, 100% of the newspaper companies, and 706 out of 709 radio stations.[431][432] In July 2005 Chávez inaugurated TeleSUR, a Pan-American equivalent of Al Jazeera that sought to challenge the present domination of Latin American television news by Univision and the United States-based CNN en Español.[433] In 2006 Chávez inaugurated a state-funded movie studio called Villa del Cine (English: Cinema City).[434] According to Chávez, the goal of this indigenous film industry was to counter what he described as "the dictatorship of Hollywood", the lack of alternative media.[435] Venezuelans protesting against the closing of RCTV. Chávez had a Twitter account with more than 3,200,000 followers as of August 2012.[436][437][438] Chávez's Twitter account has been described as a way for people to bypass bureaucracy and contact the president directly. There was a team of 200 people to sort through suggestions and comments sent via Twitter. Chávez said Twitter was "another mechanism for contact with the public, to evaluate many things and to help many people",[439] and that he saw Twitter as "a weapon that also needs to be used by the revolution".[440] In a Twitter report released in June 2010 Venezuela was third globally for the prevalence of Twitter with 19% of the population using it.[441] In 2010 availability of Internet service in Venezuela rose by 43%.[citation needed] The Venezuelan state instituted Infocenters, community spaces equipped with computers with internet connections which are free to use.[441] By January 2011 there were 737 infocenters, and the programme was awarded a prize by UNESCO.[442] In the days before the 11 April 2002 coup, the five main private Venezuelan TV stations gave advertising space to those calling for anti-Chávez demonstrations.[443][444] In 2006, Chávez announced that the terrestrial broadcast license for RCTV would not be renewed, due to its refusal to pay taxes and fines, and its alleged open support of the 2002 coup attempt against Chávez, and role in helping to instigate the oil strike in 2002–2003.[445] RCTV was transmitted via cable and satellite and was widely viewable in Venezuela until January 2010, when it was excluded by cable companies in response to an order of National Commission of Telecommunications.[446][447][448] The refusal to renew its terrestrial broadcast license was condemned by a multitude of international organizations, many of whom have claimed that the closure was politically motivated, and was intended to silence government critics.[449][450][451][452] Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) questioned whether, in the event a television station openly supported and collaborated with coup leaders, the station in question would not be subject to even more serious consequences in the United States or any other Western nation.[453] In a poll conducted by Datanalisis, almost 70 percent of Venezuelans polled opposed the shut-down, but most quoted loss of their favourite soap operas rather than concerns about limits on freedom of expression.[454] Foreign policy Further information: Foreign policy of the Hugo Chávez government Chávez with fellow South American presidents of Argentina and Brazil Chávez refocused Venezuelan foreign policy on Latin American economic and social integration by enacting bilateral trade and reciprocal aid agreements, including his so-called "oil diplomacy".[455][456] Chávez stated that Venezuela has "a strong oil card to play on the geopolitical stage ... It is a card that we are going to play with toughness against the toughest country in the world, the United States."[457] Chávez focused on a variety of multinational institutions to promote his vision of Latin American integration, including Petrocaribe, Petrosur, and TeleSUR. Bilateral trade relationships with other Latin American countries also played a major role in his policy, with Chávez increasing arms purchases from Brazil, forming oil-for-expertise trade arrangements with Cuba, and creating unique barter arrangements that exchange Venezuelan petroleum for cash-strapped Argentina's meat and dairy products. Additionally, Chávez worked closely with other Latin American leaders following the 1997 Summit of the Americas in many areas – especially energy integration – and championed the OAS decision to adopt the Anti-Corruption Convention. Chávez participated in the United Nations Friends groups for Haiti, and pursued efforts to join and engage the Mercosur trade bloc to expand the hemisphere's trade integration prospects.[458] Argentina Main article: Maletinazo Chávez and then-President of Argentina Néstor Kirchner energy projects for South America. In August 2007, Guido Alejandro Antonini Wilson, a self-identified member of the entourage of Hugo Chávez, who was about to visit Argentina, arrived in Argentina on a private flight paid for by Argentine and Venezuelan state officials. Wilson was carrying US$800,000, which the police seized on arrival. A few days later Wilson, a Venezuelan-American and a close friend of Chávez's, was a guest at a signing ceremony involving Cristina Kirchner and Chávez at the Casa Rosada. He was later arrested on money laundering and contraband charges. It was alleged that the cash was to have been delivered to the Kirchner's as a clandestine contribution to Cristina's campaign chest from President Chávez. Fernández, as a fellow leftist, was a political ally of Chávez. This was seen as a similar move that Chávez allegedly used to give payments to leftist candidates in presidential races for Bolivia and Mexico in order to back his anti-US allies.[379] The incident led to a scandal and what Bloomberg News called "an international imbroglio", with the U.S. accusing five men of being secret Chávez agents whose mission was to cover up the attempt to deliver the cash.[459][460] Cuba Main article: Cuba–Venezuela relations During Hugo Chávez's presidency, relations between Venezuela and Cuba improved dramatically. Their bilateral relations include developmental aid, joint business ventures, large financial transactions, exchange of energy resources and information technology, and cooperation in the fields of intelligence service and military.[461] In 2003, Venezuela and Cuba made a bater agreement where Cuba would send doctors to Venezuela while Venezuela would send 100,000 barrels of oil per day.[462] From 2008 to 2011, Chávez's government in Venezuela gave Cuba $18 billion in loans, investments and grants.[462] Iran Main article: Iran–Venezuela relations Hugo Chávez and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, respectively, both described themselves on the world stage as opposed to American imperialism. Citing this commonality of opinion, they formed a close alliance embarked on a number of initiatives together. On 6 January 2007, the two announced that they would use some money from a previously announced $2 billion joint fund to invest in other countries that were "attempting to liberate themselves from the imperialist yoke", in Chávez's words.[463] The two presidents declared an "axis of unity" against "US imperialism".[464] Chávez developed strong ties with the government of Iran, in particular in the area of energy production, economic, and industrial cooperation.[465] He visited Iran on several occasions, the first time in 2001,[466] when he declared that he came to Iran to "prepare the road for peace, justice, stability and progress for the 21st century".[465] Mohammad Khatami also visited Venezuela on three occasions. During his 2005 visit, Chávez awarded him the Orden del Libertador and called him a "tireless fighter for all the right causes in the world".[467] In May 2006, Chávez expressed his favorable view of the production of nuclear energy in Iran announced by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and denied that they had plans to develop atomic weapons.[468] In popular culture Bolivarian memorabilia for sale in Venezuela, 2006 Syndicated cartoonists from around the world created cartoons, illustrations, and videos of Hugo Chávez's controversial political career and the reactions to his death.[469][470][471][472] Hugo Chávez appears as a heroic character in the Latin American postmodern fantasy novel United States of Banana (2011) by Giannina Braschi; Chávez leads left-wing Latin American leaders Evo Morales, Lula, Fidel Castro, and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner on a quest to liberate the people of Puerto Rico from the United States.[473] Oliver Stone directed the 2009 documentary South of the Border, where he "sets out on a road trip across five countries to explore the social and political movements as well as the mainstream media's misperception of South America, while interviewing seven of its elected presidents."[474] On January 15, 2014, Mexican novelist Norma Gomez released Swan Song, a political thriller that points to American involvement in the death of Hugo Chávez.[475] On 5 March 2014, Oliver Stone and teleSUR release the documentary film Mi Amigo Hugo (My Friend Hugo), a documentary about his political life, one year after his death. The film also is a "spiritual answer" and a tribute from Stone to Chávez.[476] Personal life Chávez married twice. He first wed Nancy Colmenares, a woman from a poor family in Chávez's hometown of Sabaneta. Chávez and Colmenares remained married for 18 years, during which time they had three children: Rosa Virginia, María Gabriela, and Hugo Rafael, the latter of whom suffers from behavioural problems.[477] The couple separated soon after Chávez's 1992 coup attempt. During his first marriage, Chávez had an affair with historian Herma Marksman; their relationship lasted nine years.[478] Chávez's second wife was journalist Marisabel Rodríguez de Chávez, whom he separated in 2002 and divorced in 2004.[479] Through that marriage, Chávez had another daughter, Rosinés.[480] Both María and Rosa provided Chávez with grandchildren.[477][481] Allegations were made that Chávez was a womanizer, and had been throughout both his marriages, but these have remained unproven and are contradicted by statements provided by other figures close to him.[482] Chávez was a Catholic. He intended at one time to become a priest. He saw his socialist policies as having roots in the teachings of Jesus Christ,[483] (liberation theology) and he publicly used the slogan of "Christ is with the Revolution!"[484] Although he traditionally kept his own faith a private matter, Chávez over the course of his presidency became increasingly open to discussing his religious views, stating that he interpreted Jesus as a Communist.[485] He was, in general, a liberal Catholic, some of whose declarations were disturbing to the religious community of his country. In 2008 he expressed his skepticism of an afterlife, saying that such idea was false.[486] He also would declare his belief in Darwin's theory of evolution, stating that "it is a lie that God created man from the ground."[487] Among other things, he cursed the state of Israel,[488] and he had some disputes with both the Venezuelan Catholic clergy and Protestant groups like the New Tribes Mission,[489][490] whose evangelical leader he "condemned to hell".[491] In addition, he showed sysyncretistic practices such as the worship of the Venezuelan goddess María Lionza.[492][493] In his last years, after he discovered he had cancer, Chávez became more attached to the Catholic Church.[494] Illness In June 2011, Chávez revealed in a televised address from Havana, Cuba, that he was recovering from an operation to remove an abscessed tumor with cancerous cells.[495] Vice President Elías Jaua declared that the President remained in "full exercise" of power and that there was no need to transfer power due to his absence from the country.[496] On 3 July, the Venezuelan government denied, however, that Chávez's tumour had been completely removed, further stating that he was heading for "complete recovery".[497] On 17 July 2011, television news reported that Chávez had returned to Cuba for further cancer treatments.[498] Chávez gave a public appearance on 28 July 2011, his 57th birthday, in which he stated that his health troubles had led him to radically reorient his life towards a "more diverse, more reflective and multi-faceted" outlook, and he went on to call on the middle classes and the private sector to get more involved in his Bolivarian Revolution, something he saw as "vital" to its success.[499] Soon after this speech, in August Chávez announced that his government would nationalize Venezuela's gold industry, taking it over from Russian-controlled company Rusoro, while at the same time also moving the country's gold stocks, which were largely stored in western banks, to banks in Venezuela's political allies like Russia, China and Brazil.[500] On 9 July 2012, Chávez declared himself fully recovered from cancer just three months before the 2012 Venezuelan presidential election, which he won, securing a fourth term as president.[501] In November 2012, Chávez announced plans to travel to Cuba for more medical treatment for cancer.[502] On 8 December 2012, Chávez announced he would undergo a new operation after doctors in Cuba detected malignant cells; the operation took place on 11 December 2012.[503] Chávez suffered a respiratory infection after undergoing the surgery but it was controlled.[504] It was announced 20 December by the country's vice-president that Chávez had suffered complications following his surgery.[505] It was announced on 3 January 2013 that Chávez had a severe lung infection that had caused respiratory failures following a strict treatment regimen for respiratory insufficiency.[506] However he was reported to have overcome this later that month,[507] and it was reported that he was then undergoing further treatment.[508] On 18 February 2013, Chávez returned to Venezuela after 2 months of cancer treatment in Cuba.[509] On 1 March 2013, Vice President Nicolás Maduro said that Chávez had been receiving chemotherapy in Venezuela following his surgery in Cuba.[510] On 4 March, it was announced by the Venezuelan government that Chávez's breathing problems had worsened and he was suffering a new, severe respiratory infection.[511] After his first cancer surgery in June 2011, Chávez indicated that a baseball-sized tumor had been removed from his pelvis, but he never revealed what type of cancer he suffered from then or later when further surgery, chemotherapy and radiation were used.[512] However, on 27 February 2012, Wikileaks released an internal Stratfor email, dated 6 December 2011, that detailed the earlier cancer as well as putting the blame on his doctors and Chavez's personal habits. It also details the cause for his second trip to Cuba. "The tumor started as a growth close to the prostate. It spread to the colon, which is what led to a lot of confusion in the [unknown] about the treatment of prostate v. colon cancer in hormonal v. chemotherapy. A reliable source on the medical [team] has explained that the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes and into the bone marrow up to the spine, ie. very serious." [513] "Chavez temporarily stopped the chemo in order to make an appearance at the recent CELAC meeting. The medical team is made up of both Russian and Cuban doctors. Both sides are clashing. The Russian team blamed the Cubans for an improper surgery the first time in trying to remove the tumor. The second surgery over the summer was basically the Russian team trying to clean up the Cuban team's mistakes. The Russians complain that the Cubans don't have the right imagery treatment to properly treat Chavez. The Cuban medical diagnosis is two years. The Russian medical diagnosis, due to improper medical equipment, is less than one year. The source on the medical team complains that Chavez is a very 'bad patient.' He doesn't listen to his doctors, and he ceases treatment when he has to make a public appearance. Now the Russian and the Chinese doctors are going at it because Chavez sought the advice of a Chinese doctor that advocates more natural treatments and the Russians are saying this is "horse shit treatment". Only Chavez can get the most politicized medical team in the world." [513] Death Main article: Death and state funeral of Hugo Chávez On 5 March 2013, Vice President Nicolás Maduro announced on state television that Chávez had died in a military hospital in Caracas at 16:25 VET (20:55 UTC).[514] The Vice President said Chávez died "after battling a tough illness for nearly two years."[514] According to the head of Venezuela's presidential guard, Chávez died from a massive heart attack, and his cancer was very advanced when he died.[515] Gen. Jose Ornella said that near the end of his life Chávez could not speak aloud, but mouthed his last words: "Yo no quiero morir, por favor no me dejen morir" (I don't want to die. Please don't let me die).[515] The funeral was planned to be held in Caracas.[516][517][518][519][520] Chávez is survived by four children and four grandchildren.[521] Vice President Maduro and Chávez's supporters had suggested foul play was behind Chávez's illness and death.[514][522] Maduro speculated that Chávez had been poisoned or infected by enemies, and expressed a belief that the claim could someday be tested scientifically. It was unclear whether Maduro was referring to Chávez' cancer, or his respiratory infection. During the same address, Maduro announced the expulsion of an attaché to the U.S. embassy for what he called "a plot against the government" of Venezuela.[523][524][525][526][527] Chávez himself had claimed to be "a victim of U.S. assassination attempts."[528] The U.S. Department of State dismissed the allegation as "absurd".[529] Argentine doctor Eduardo Cazap dismissed Venezuelan claims of the existence of a cancer-inducing weapon by quoting: "Our body is extremely resistant to all the factors that could affect it. And when you need to produce cancer in an experimental manner you need to use huge amounts of drugs or huge amounts of toxins".[530] His death triggered a constitutional requirement that a presidential election be called within 30 days. Chavez's Vice President, Maduro, was elected president. |
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